The Unknown
by WriterAtHeart96
Summary: Journey through how the cure is spread. I'll take a different turn if events on some things, I hope you like. Rachel/Tom centered, but others will appear as well, some friendships between the Crew and Rachel. not good at Summaries.
1. Chapter 1

**So this is my first The last ship Fanfic. I hope you like it. it'll be a Rachel/Tom Story. I hope that even in the series she'll appear out of secret, lets hope she has to hide for her safety or something. let's be honest those two belong together and TNT would have made a big mistake to kill her, tom and rachel had huge chemistry, but anyway. I hope you like the story. sadly enough I do not own anything.**

"Can we talk about what's going on in there?" Chandler approached her outside of the plastic quarantine bay. Placing my thermos on one of the cases I nodded my head tears stinging my eyes.

"we have it." I said out loud for the first time, a weight lifted off my shoulders as I finally said it out loud, like it was only real now. "We have a vaccine?" he asked, his voice more emotional then I had ever heard before. Tears pooling in his eyes as he took a step closer to me.

"We don't just have a vaccine." I admitted, looking at him. "You mean?" he questioned, rocking on his feet, so unlike him. "I mean that we can save people who are already sick." I sniffled, emotional as all the hard work, commitment, long hours to come to this point came crashing around us.

my emotions getting the better of me as the captain enveloped me in his strong arms, nobody could deny the chemistry between, the tension between the two of us having multiplied after the kiss at Vyerni. His masculine scent, his strong arms wrapping around my body, like some short of blanket, trying to protect me against the emotions I was feeling.

A tear slipping out of my eye as I hugged him back. "we finally have it." he whispered, his breath against the skin of my head. "yes." I nearly sobbed, whether it was from exhaustion, the relieve or being wrapped up in The captains arms I didn't know, but I did know that my knees were feeling very week all of a sudden. "hey there." He whispered, his arms tighter around my body as I felt my knees buckle under me, the captain my only support as held me upright.

"You haven't been resting much have you?" he asked, but it sounded more like a statement. "no." I admitted sheepishly, looking up at him, his sky blue eyes, looking into mine and I had the urge to kiss him again, looking between his eyes and lips, I got my knees back under me and took a step back, fighting every instinct to do so as I wanted nothing more than to kiss him, the shimmer of his wedding ring a reminder of why I couldn't. 'no Rachel, he's married.' I told myself.

"I should probably get to work and start making the Vaccine's for the crew." I whispered, taking another step back as his hand reached out. "I'm sure you can start that tomorrow after you've had some rest." He said, caressing my cheek, no longer being able to fight the instincts I leaned into his touch.

"I should go." I whispered, pulling away from his touch, his ring touching my cheek like a bucket of ice water being poured over my desires and feelings. Walking to my lab in the other space, I put on my protective gear and started process of making the cure for the cure, I just had to put it together, the machines would do the rest.

Leaving my lab I walked back to the Quarantine zone, "why don't you two go and rest, it's been a busy 48 hours" I suggested, looking at Doc Rios and Quincy. "What about you?" Quincy asked, "I'll be fine, I'll sleep on the cot, I need to be in range of the lab anyway." I shrugged my shoulders.

They tried to convince me in one of them staying behind, but I was determined to see this through and be here for the people who had put their fate in me, had put such a fate in me that they volunteered to test prototype vaccine. I thought it was important for them to know that I was still here and didn't forget what they had done.

Pulling on the protective gear I made my way back in the protective plastic, wanting to check all 5 of them, to make sure they would be okay. "Hey Master Chief, still awake?" I smiled down at him, walking to the small table and pouring a cup of water, handing it to him. "as are you." he stated. "I have a lot of work to do." I explained, taking the blood pressure cuff and wrapping it around his arm.

"I'm sure you could rest a little bit." He noted. "maybe;" I smiled, knowing I wouldn't but he didn't need to know that. Next I moved to Mills, he was sound asleep, Garnett seemed to be asleep as well so I let them be.

Kara wasn't asleep, her hand resting on her stomach as she stared ahead in disbelief. "Hey, how are you feeling?" I asked, walking between her and Tex's cot, he was snoring softly.

"I don't know." She let out a laugh. "happy, surprised?" I asked, sitting on the edge of her bed, wrapping the cuff around her arm.

"both." She smiled. "I think I haven't said congratulations yet;" I smiled, taking her one hand in mine. "thank you." she beamed. "everything's in order, don't worry, if there's anything you need, you can always come to me." I assured her with a squeeze of my hand. "thanks, I might take you up on that offer, I don't think I want the ship's doctor checking my pregnancy." She admitted sheepishly. "well, I'm always here." I smiled. "now get some rest, I'm sure now that we have a cure, we'll be looking for a lab of mass production;" I told her.

"Probably." She agreed, "you need anything before I go?" I asked, getting up. "could you give me some water?" she asked, "Of course." I smiled, walking to the pitcher, before bringing her cup and walking out of the plastic 'cage'.

I ended most of the night walking between the lab and the quarantine zone, checking on the five brave souls. When morning came I had enough doses for the crew and 60 more doses. "Have you slept at all?" Tex asked as I was making my round in the 'cage.'

"a little here and there." I lied, avoiding eye contact. "I don't believe you." he pointed out, getting up. "tex in bed." I ordered. "come on, I feel okay." He objected. "fine, but you're not leaving this room, until the entire crew has had their shots." I told him in a tone that didn't leave any room for discussion. "yes, ma'am." he saluted.

One by one they started to wake up. I knew the crew of the ship would be getting up as well, so I wanted to wait for them to get their shots, so the five of them could go to the mesh halls. Show that they were okay.

Maybe I should go and see the captain to get some sort of plan to get everyone vaccinated. 'speak of the devil' I thought to myself when I saw him and Mike come into the room. "Captain, Commander." I greeted, walking out of the plastic cage.

"Dr. Scott, have you had any sleep?" The XO asked, looking at me. "here and there." I lied, looking down at my now very interesting boots. "Well, I'm sure you'll be able to get some rest after today." The XO said, knowing he'd seen through my lie.

"the vaccines for the crew are ready, I was thinking to maybe gather them on the flight deck and give them the shots as soon as possible, the five of them will be able to leave soon." I suggested, looking between the Captain and the XO.

"sounds like a plan." The captain agreed, looking at me with an emotion I couldn't quite place in his eyes. Quincy, Beatrice, Doc Rios came in at that moment as we started explaining how the crew would be vaccinated, the XO had left to make an announcement over the com whilst I showed and prepared the vaccines in the lab. The four of us got the shots as first. "I'm going to the Captain's state room; I'll meet you on the flight deck when I have given him his shot.

Knocking on the door of his state room his reply came: "Come in."

"captain, I'm here to give you your shot." I said, holding up the small case in my hands. "have you eaten yet?" he asked, worry in his eyes and voice; "not yet." I admitted, no point in lying, he'd seen through my first lie already. "Well, after this you're joining me in the mesh hall for breakfast with the officers;" he stated, but it sounded more like an order to me; "Is that an order captain?" I asked, my back towards him as I prepared his shot, the atmosphere filled with tension of where we had left of last night.

'come on Rachel, he's married. Soon he'll be finding his family, just stop it.' I chanted to myself.

"You sure you have enough for the entire crew?" he asked, feeling the eyes on my back as I prepared his shot. "and 50 or 60 more." I replied, finally turning around to look at his face, whether I didn't want to realise or was just being ignorant of the look in his eye I didn't know, but it was something I wasn't used to being projected at me.

"When we get home we can use this as a vaccine and a cure?" he asked, "the uninfected will be immunized and the sick can be cured." I explained. "Providing they're not to far gone." I added with a tilt of my head; he tilted his head in agreement as I picked up the disinfectant swab and started walking over to him, where he was leaning against his desk.

"after all the failures and the false starts, I just feel so…" I ended, not knowing how to explain what I felt, happy was only the beginning after all the failures, the exhaustion, the ugly stares of the crew after they had been told the truth, the distrust in their eyes as the mission continued, the vaccine failing, the 16 crew members wanting to leave because of it, all of it had led up to this.

"Happy?" The Captain asked, catching my eye for the first time I had come into his stateroom, had been trying to avoid his gaze knowing it wouldn't do any good as my attraction towards him only continued to grow and those eyes had the capability to suck you in, as blue as the sky they were, like they had no beginning or end, just like I didn't know how I had felt for him in the first place. How could I have let this happen.

Taking a deep breath I replied, not breaking eye contact: "I can't truly remember the last time I felt that emotion." I admitted, as he pulled up his sleeve and I started to wipe his arm.

"still so much to do, we have to mass produce it, we have to distribute it." I sighed, dropping my gaze for a second, when I thought to the next load of working in the future, but I had come this far, the rest would only be like a walk in the park.

"Rachel?" he said, his tone making me lift up my head as I met his eyes again. "you did it," he smiled, his eyes full of trust. "let's enjoy the moment." He stated as I put the needle in his arm, before pulling it back out, our fingers touching slightly as he pulled his sleeve down as I rubbed the spot.

Electricity shooting through my body at the contact, 'god, get a grip Rachel.' I told myself.

"Come on we should check the flight deck, I'm sure you want to see the results of your hard work." He smiled, motioning for me to go first as he pulled his state room open.

 **So that's the first chapter. More will follow I hope, I'll take a slightly different turn of events, but still I hope to make it interesting for you guys. Just let me know if you'd want me to continue or not.**


	2. Chapter 2

**Massive thanks to starfoxtwin, jag389 and tmtcltb for their very nice Reviews, it means a lot to me. so massive thank you.**

"Who would do something like that?" I questioned, taking a step closer to the monitors watching the wreckage of the lab at fort Detrick. "I don't know." The captain replied, walking out of CIC.

"is there any other lab you know off?" the XO asked. "no, CDC maybe but for all we know it's been destroyed as well." I said, dropping my head, this was going to be a lot harder than I had thought. Now we finally had the cure and couldn't produce it and spread it throughout the United states and essentially the world.

"Hey, we'll figure something out." Kara said, looking at me from in her spot at the screen. "I'm going back to the lab." I announced, walking out of CIC with my head down and my shoulders sacked, what had been the point in making all of this if we couldn't spread it, if we couldn't mass produce it.

being in the lab didn't seem like the best idea to me. it would only remind me of all the hours I had spent there finally finding the cure and now it seemed it didn't matter anyway. Walking through the door I made my way to the barrier at the at the of the helicopter bay, the wind blowing, my hair flying in all direction, but I welcomed it as a nice distraction and maybe mood to how I felt.

The tail of the boat making waves behind us, the sound soothing my thoughts for a bit. The cold seeping into my skin and bones, a slight shiver running through my body, I didn't know how long I had been standing there, nor did I care, it seemed like it had been all for nothing anyway.

"I thought you could use this." I heard, making me jump out of my skin as the Captain walked up to me. "sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you" he whispered, handing me a cup of steaming tea. "thanks." I whispered, looking back at the path the ship made in the water.

"you okay?" he asked, coming a little too close for comfort, but it seemed to be the only source of heat for the moment so I didn't move away from it. wrapping my fingers around my cup of tea, savouring the heat pouring into my fingers as I stared out in front of me.

"what's on your mind?" he asked, concern in his voice. "why would you care?" I asked, a little rude even to my liking but this was my way of protecting myself from him, from being hurt in the future. "I care about you." he whispered, apparently ignoring my previous tone.

"I consider you my friend, it's only natural to worry for your friends." He replied, his tone never favouring as he leaned his elbows on the railing in a similar way to me.

"it seems all the work is lost, it was all for nothing;" I whispered, not like how my thoughts were but every human could only take on so much, before they reached a certain point where they started to second guess everything.

"We'll figure it out, we've come so far. No way are we failing now." He said full of certainty and conviction, it almost made me believe him. "you have more faith then I have." I whispered, my voice being carried away by the wind. "I have been there as well." He admitted, sounding vulnerable all of a sudden.

"I find that hard to believe." I let out a chuckle. "I never though you would be here as well." He hit the nail on the head. "you can only endure so much setbacks." I whispered, hating the fact that I was here, I should be celebrating the fact that I had managed to make the cure and vaccine, but it seemed that everything had a way of discouraging you.

"We'll find a way to spread the cure, I promise you. can you make more on the ship?" he asked, his eyes turning to me. "I can, but I'm running low on everything, If I have to make a cure on this ship, I'll need more supplies." I told him.

"then I will get those somehow, everybody on this ship has faith in you, don't lose faith in yourself now, not now you have come so far." He squeezed my shoulder, before walking off.

somehow the words of the captain had an effect and pulled me out of my self-pitying mood, he was right this crew had its faith in me, I couldn't let them down now. I never gave up, why would I do that now, so I tried to salvage as much as I could and try to produce as much Vaccines as I could, with the supplies I had on hand.

"we have a lab." Was the first thing I heard as the door to the lab opened, looking over my shoulder I saw the captain coming in. "What do you mean?" I asked dropping the stuff I held in my hand.

"there's a lab in Baltimore, we've already set course and we should be there in the next few hours." He said, looking at me. letting out a laugh in relief I looked at him. "thank you" I whispered through the plastic.

"I promised you didn't I?" he questioned. "that you did. Maybe I should ask you for that Bengal tiger after all." I said in a teasing tone. "just name it." he laughed. "good to know, might take you on that one day." I chuckled, relieved that we continue our mission and spread the cure.

we had just arrived in Baltimore, in the labs of Advocet. Seeing for the first time what damage it had done in a densely populated area, such as Baltimore. It was just horrible to think how it swept through cities such as these.

we'd been in advocet for over an hour when a rattled Captain approached me. "Do you have four doses on hand?" he asked, frantically. "My family they're sick." He explained, looking around as if they would somehow pop up here. "Of course, I'll give them immediately." I said, walking back into the lab and preparing four doses. "Find them captain." I said, handing him the small package.

"thank you." he said, gratefulness in his eyes before he turned around and walked off with speed in his pace. He'd finally found his family back. I was incredibly happy for him, to be able to find his family. Not many people would be able to given such a chance.

I had been trying to hide my growing feelings for him during the last week, it only increased after I had passed him that note, it seemed like it was years ago, while in fact it was only 8 days ago.

I would have to better in my hiding, he was on his way to recover his family and wife. Yea I'd have to tell myself it was not meant to be, have to avoid him afterwards in hope to lessen the feeling coursing through my veins for him.

Looking over some data I wasn't sure what I was seeing as I approached Michael: "Michael have you seen these protocols?" walking up to him.

"Of course, why?" he asked a confused look on his face. "Well, Dr. Hamada claims that his treatment prolongs the lives of the infected. But his whole assumption about the virus seems to be wrong." I explained, standing in front of him, holding the data in my head, starting to turn it around so he could take a look.

With a huff he said: "I'm just a statistician. But the data he has given me suggest the treatments working." He gave his opinion.

"No that's impossible." I shook my head, I had seen the data, it wouldn't work at all, I don't know what results he'd been given but it certainly were lies. "Is something wrong?" I heard dr. Hamada's voice behind me, my muscles tensing up as if I was trying to protect myself, I got the feeling that not all was what it seemed here.

"Yes," immediately said, not beating around the bush. "You're using Ribavirin to introduce higher error rates to the virus DNA replication." I explained.

"In a chemical cocktail yes" he said, starting to look very guilty as he started rocking on his feet. "Yes, but the pandemic virus is error-free, your treatment wouldn't have any positive effect whatsoever." I objected. "in fact these dose levels are highly toxic." I pointed out, taking on a defensive stance. "uumm." He said, trying to look for a way out, be he'd just tightened the nose around his neck as I ran off to seek out Mrs Granderson. She had to know about this.

Storming into her office I confronted her with said facts, when she started explaining as to why she did it seemed like she saw herself as some higher power. "so you get to decide who lives and who dies?" I asked, walking up to her desk, my blood turning into fire as I was so pissed off.

Then she had the arrogance to order me and tell me it would be better if I worked with her instead of against her. "she was trying to run away." A guard said coming in with Alisha. "I will never work with you and I the doses I gave you aren't enough to create the cure. Everything is stored safely on the ship." I told her in defiance, a grin on my face as I rubbed it in her face.

"and the captain will never give it up." Alisha added, shaking her head no.

"I assure you, I'll get what I want whether it's with or without your consent." She grinned with an evil smirk. "take them downstairs and teach them a lesson, maybe they'll be a bit more cooperative after they've been thought who to listen to." She ordered as a guard grabbed my arm, turning around I smashed my fist in the guards face, but without results as he hit me back, sure he had a bleeding nose, but I had a pounding headache as he butted the back of his gun on my head.

my feet barely following what I wanted them to do as they dragged us down the hall, down the stairs. "Start undressing them." one of the guards ordered as the door closed behind us. two beds were put to the side and several chains were hanging off the ceiling.

"no." I yelled, starting to struggle as they started to rip my clothes off. "keep your hands to yourself pigs." I yelled out, hitting one of the guards again as I fought and that was the last thing I remembered before I hit the ground.

a cold metal cutting in my palms was the first thing I felt when started coming back. "Dr. Scott?" a voice asked from somewhere around me. the pull in my arms was getting painful, my eyes fluttering as I tried to adjust to the light in the room. "Dr. Scott are you alright?" the voice asked again, like a gnome banging in my head with a hammer.

The sore muscles in my neck protesting as I lifted my head, the cold all over my body began to register in my brain as I look to my side. "Lieutenant." I whispered. "what happened?" I asked, looking down and seeing I wasn't wearing any clothes at all.

"you fought the guards and they hit you in the head." Alisha told me, straining her binds above her head. "are you okay?" I asked, worried when I saw she was bleeding from her face. "yea, I'm okay, are you?" she asked.

"yea." I said, trying to get my hands lose above my head, they felt like led and were tingling from being raised above my head. "have they done anything to us, except." I nodded down to our bodies.

"no." she told me with certainty. "We need to get out of here." I whispered, looking around the room, making myself scared at seeing all the things in the room.

Then the door was thrown open. "seems like the doctor is back." One of the dush bags said, taking my face in his hand. "don't touch me." I said, turning my head to the side. "this one's got fire boys; it'll be all the more fun." He grinned at me, his teeth yellow and filthy, his breath was like the devil breath alone.

"let's start with this one." The other smirked, nodding at me as he took the up a cable jumper. Before I knew I felt the electricity going through my body, somewhere in the back of my mind I registered Alisha yelling and the others laughing, but I couldn't fight it as my body weakened by the electricity, sighing out of relief softly when they got the clamp away, before attaching it back on me, losing consciousness.

GPOV

After Rachel had fainted from the pain and shock of electricity going through her body, the two guards didn't seem to find her interesting as she didn't struggle anymore, thinking there was no fun in that, they moved on to Alisha.

Doing the same thing as they did to Rachel, attaching the clamps of the cable jumper to her body as she shook and scream out in pain, she lasted longer than Rachel had, much to the amusement of the two monsters.

It seemed like a game to them, enjoying the fact that they could torture these two women, the consent given from their boss, 'break them, show them who the boss is' she told the two of them before they had been sent in here.

Alisha had given out under the current going through her body, taking up the hose from against the well, they open the faucet and started hosing down Rachel. "wakey, wakey." One of them slapped her cheek.

"she's waking up." one of them said. "let's see if she's more cooperative already." The second one said. When they saw she opened her eyes, the first one who'd attached the jumper cable to her first approached her. "so are you going to work with us and do what Mrs. Granderson wants you to do?" he asked her, holding her face between his hand, squeezing her chin in his fingers, enjoying the fact that she groaned out in pain.

"go to hell." She said, spitting down on him, she wasn't going to let these guys break her, the cure was for those who deserved it, not these who wanted to start a social project.

"that can be arranged, he sneered, wiping the spit away and, forming a fist and hitting her in the stomach, making sure to hit the spot that would hurt the most.

Grinding her teeth on each other as not to give them more pleasure at their torture she could help as the tears sprang to her eyes in hurt. "so what will it be?" the other one asked, approaching her after the beating. "I'd rather die than help you sick son of a bitches." She yelled, earning her a slap on her face, tasting blood in her mouth she dropped her head.

She just hoped that if dead was to follow, they'd do it soon, she didn't know how much longer she would be able to keep going like this. "we'll see." They grinned evilly picking up the jumper cable again, increasing the voltage as they connected the claps to her body again.

She didn't fight when unconsciousness called her this time, instead she welcomed it as a way out of her pain, "she's out again." One said to the other.

"Well, let's see if this one is more willing to cooperate, maybe we should start thinking of another way." He smirked, touching his crotch. "wouldn't mind doing this one." He laughed taking Rachel's face in his hand, running his hand over her body, his fingers moving to her core, inserting a finger.

"ooh, I'll definitely love this one." He smirked, looking at his friend. "not yet. They need to be awake." He grinned to his friend with an evil smirk.

They woke Alisha up the same manner they had done to Rachel, but Alisha didn't say anything and kept her mouth shut, not wanting to give them anything, not even a whimper as they hit her body to the point she was certain they had broken a few ribs.

"let's wake the other up, now we can have a bit more personal fun;" the other one said, picking the hose up again and spraying her down, when she didn't wake up, they put her feet in a bucket of ice, "we'll never give you what you want." Was the first thing Rachel said when she woke up again, hoping they'd put an end to this sooner rather then later.

"We'll see about that." Said the man in front of her as he started running his hand down her body again, squeezing her breast with an evil smirk and down her body. "no." Rachel yelled out, trying to kick the body in front of hers. Hoping he'd fall and break his neck, but luck was on her side. "you'll pay for that bitch," he said, the other had already pulled down his pants, walking up to Alisha. "No." Rachel yelled again as she felt his fist connect with her face again.

Before she saw the one in front of her start unbuckling his belt as well. "HELP SOMEONE!" Rachel yelled, hoping that her previous statement of everyone coming to look for her would be true.

"where could they be?" Tex asked, they'd nearly searched the entire basement in hope to find Alisha and Doctor Scott, they'd already discovered Kara, thank god they'd been in time for her, the captain just hoped that they weren't too late for Rachel.

He'd already lost his wife today he wasn't about to lose her as well. No he wouldn't, he told himself as they pushed the next door open. "Was that Dr. Scott?" Green asked, looking at the end of the hallway where they had just heard someone scream for help.

"I think so." The Captain said in a hushed whisper, they'd already been here for 6 hours without any form of protection, he didn't want to imagine what they'd been through already. "let's go then." Tex said, already walking ahead, several of the war lords following in our path as Burk and Tex took the lead.

Green and the captain stood stationed out the door they scream had come from and screams were still coming from. "now." He ordered as he and Green kicked the door open and what he saw made his blood boil and pull the trigger on his gun sooner then he'd ever done.

"Rachel." The captain said, walking up to her, taking his jacket off already. Rachel was jut happy to see him. They'd gotten here just in time for me, but Alisha had already gotten the blunt and he'd already started raping her.

Rachel had managed to anger him more than anything else as she kept kicking him, it had earned her more beatings, but at least she hadn't been raped, at least not while she was conscious for as far as she knew.

"Tom"; she sobbed in relief to see him, his jacket was already off. "'I'll undo the restrains" Burk said, reaching up for the restraints as the captain wrapped his BDU around rachel's body, wanting to protect her modesty as far as he could, a second later she collapsed in his arms, just catching her in time.

"I didn't give them what they wanted." She sobbed, repeating the same sentence over and over again, as the captain pulled the BDU jacket over her shoulder, buttoning several buttons and picking her up in his arms.

"It's okay Rachel, you didn't." the captain whispered as he held her in his arms, her head cradled in the crook of his neck. Then the leader of the warlords walked in "Granderson's dead and the lab is secured." He informed the captain as he looked at the two women cradled in the captain and Lieutenant Green's arms.

"we need to get them to safety and get them checked out." The Captain ordered as he tried looking around for their clothing, wanting to put some sort of pants on them as they were in a vulnerable position already.

Finding none he stepped out of the room and followed the guy out. "stay with me Rachel." The captain whispered as he looked down in his arms at her. "You came for me" she whispered softly. "of course." He immediately replied as he walked out of Avocet, they'd beaten Granderson's people and as he crawled in the back of a car to go back to the ship, he couldn't help but think of his Children and Darian and surprisingly most of all the women in his arms, that he wanted to protect more than anything in the world.

Is this what the world had turned into. He asked himself as Rachel cried softly in his arms.

 **So that's the Chapter, I hope you liked, please let me know what you think by leaving a comment behind.**


	3. Chapter 3

**First of all massive massive thanks to the one's who left a review, it means a lot to me, really. I'm glad to know you like the story so far. so big thanks to tmtcltb, guest, jag 389, scousedancer. I hope you like this one as well.**

They arrived at the harbour four RHIBS waiting at the dock, several of the captain's men were guarding the pier. They had made it to the harbour safely that was the first though that crossed his mind as he saw the Nathan James on the horizon.

Master chief was on his way with his kids here as well, it bothered the captain that he couldn't be there for his kids in this already hard time for them, they'd just lost their mother and what had he done, chase after people and take revenge on those responsible for his wife's death along with thousands of others.

Getting out of the SVU's and getting in the RHIBS he laid Rachel down, not that he wanted, but when his kids arrived he wanted to embrace them in his arms, check them over, see if the cure really had done it's job.

Make sure that he hadn't failed his kids as well, his father.

And brought the remaining of his crew at Advocet in safety. "Kara?" the captain heard a voice ask, looking down her realised that Rachel had lifted her head from his shoulder, he hadn't had the heart to place her down, maybe somewhere in the back of his mind he wanted to secure Rachel in his arms

And Rachel hadn't fought it, feeling quite safe and secure in his arms after what had just happened, his familiar scent, surprisingly comforting to her as he carried her from the car and into the RHIBS.

Keeping what was left of her dignity, several men of the Nathan James crew had seen her naked and in a vulnerable position about to be raped, hanging on the ceiling by metal chains as they tortured her.

"Kara?" she asked, thinking the trauma to her body has somehow gotten to her brain and maybe her brain was playing a trick on her, putting Kara there in front of her in Danny's arms, looking around she tried to find Alisha, finding her next to Burk in his jacket, knees pulled up to her chest, trying to cover herself as much as possible, jumping at every little noise of movement, she had failed, she'd fought and failed to protect her, she'd been raped.

Looking back at Kara, she wanted to know what she was doing here, getting up from The captain's arms and out of her safe place, "where do you think you're going?" Rachel heard from above her, making Alisha jump up and startling Rachel, it would take a while for them to be around men, and being on a ship with mainly men would definitely be a new challenge, sure they were all navy and one by one honourable men, the damage had been done psychological and would take its time.

"going to Kara and Alisha." Rachel replied, trying to push herself up, caring for other would mean avoiding to deal with what just happened. "I thought you were on the ship?" Rachel asked, looking at Kara in Danny's arm, her body weaker then she had anticipated as she tried to push herself upright.

"they tried to take the cure from the baby." She whispered, her voice being carried on the soft breeze. "stamcells." Rachel realised as she whispered to herself, discovering for herself what they had tried to do. "You okay?" Rachel asked, trying to get up again, this time the captain helped her up, after hearing what they had tried to do to Kara he was worried for her and the baby.

Sure he may not show it but this was his crew and he cared for each and every one of them and after finding out that the world's population has been decimated, they became his family as well, sure he was still the Captain, top of the chain of command and no one would dare speak to him, like any of the others did, he realised that.

He knew that that was how he kept the ship going, but sometimes it would be nice to just be Tom Chandler as well, not the captain, have someone to talk to, Mike was a great friend, one of his best friends, but he saw the rest of his crew as friends as well, he knew he may not show it, but he knew it and that was what mattered.

He cared for them, more then he would let on, for now maybe. He cared for Danny and Kara and their now baby and he had to maybe accept the fact that more of his crew would seek comfort with each other, that those fraternation rules weren't maybe as effective in the new world they lived in.

"they didn't get the needle in." Kara whispered looking at Rachel as she tried to stand on her feet, her feet and knees wobbly, maybe it was the water crashing against the RHIB or the fact that the adrenaline had finally left her body.

"I'll check you out when we get to the ship." Rachel promised, giving Kara's hand a squeeze and trying to give Danny an assuring smile.

"Alisha?" Rachel whispered, looking in her direction, as Rachel looked in her eyes she realised that she was in her own world trying to deal with what just happened, so she sat down where Tom had previously sat, the three women jumping up as a car approached. "It's alright, It's my family." The captain said in a strong and assuring voice, wanting to calm them down, wanting to take Rachel back in his arm at seeing the frightened look in her eyes.

'my family' ran through Rachel's mind, his wife is here, he'd found her, 'what were you thinking anyway, that he'd come to safe you' Rachel reprimanded herself in her head.

'what was I thinking? Now I really had to get over my feelings for him, there was no point in holding on to them, not when he had just found his family.' Rachel told herself as she watched the door to the van being opened and the captain embracing his kids.

Looking at the scene in front of her she questioned the fact that she was only seeing his kids and an elderly man. 'where is his wife?' she asked herself, searching the pier for her an answer as it might pop up from somewhere.

"We were too late for his wife, she was already dead, we didn't even find her." Burk told everyone in the RHIB as if he was reading everyone's minds.

'she's gone?' Rachel asked herself. 'failed again, failed to protect Alisha, failed to protect Kara when they found in her files that she was pregnant, failed the Captain by not being able to save his entire family.' She told herself and with that she turned into her own world, not wanting these people to be angry at her for failing to protect them, she deserved it, not that, but she couldn't handle them being angry at them.

not after she'd come so close to all of them, to Kara, to Alisha, to the Captain, the entire crew. She couldn't handle the only family she had known in her entire life being angry at her. Six months they'd been at sea, four months of trying to separate herself from these honourable men and women, she wasn't one herself, trying to keep everything hidden from them, lying to them.

but then the secret got out and she proved herself to them, her worth, they got faith in her, regained their trust. She started seeing them as her family. The only family she had ever gotten and she had failed them, by not producing the cure soon enough and by not protecting them.

but as she saw The Captains kids approaching she remembered that they had been sick and had been administered the cure, the first ones to try to cure part and not the vaccine part, so she needed to see if it had worked, if she had at least succeeded at one thing.

she waited until they were in the RHIBS, until everyone was in the RHIBS to get up and walk over to them, but she was still a bit weak on her feet and as she got up, her knees buckled under her, the captain catching her just in time.

"easy there." He whispered, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her back down, pulling her back in his lap, there wasn't any place left and he'd rather hold her in his arms, he'd only lost his wife, but he also realised that he liked this woman more then you should like any other random women, he had the great sense and feeling to protect her.

To protect her from any hurt or other dangerous situation like she had been in at Advocet. Ashley and Sam settled on each side of his, their little arms, resting low on his back, holding his t-shirt in their fists as if not to let him go.

the boat ride back to the James was wobbly, maybe he was only aware how wobbly this was with his kids by his side now. The RHIBS hadn't felt this unsafe and wobbly until now.

The captain was the first one to board the Nathan James Sam in his arm, seeing Lieutenant Garnett next to Mike he approached her. "An? Could you go to Lieutenant Foster and Granderson's cabin and get them new clothes, take a double from Lieutenant Foster, I'm sure that Dr. Scott is around the same size as her." The captain asked her with a sympathetic look that said ' _not now'_ he shot the same look at Mike as the RHIBS were lifted onboard everyone climbing out of it, everyone looking at the 8 bags with dead bodies.

The Nathan James had won back the control over the ship, but not without losses, eight people had lost their lives.

Doc Rios immediately approached the three women, it made quite a sight and a few eyebrows were raised when they saw Granderson stepping out of the RHIB with Burk's BDU jacket, but that's not what raised the eyebrows, Dr. Scott wearing the Captains BDU jacket did, it was big enough to cover her up to the knees, his name tag over her chest, his insignia's on the collar of the jacket.

"Don't touch me." Was heard over the deck of the Nathan James as the captain looked as Alisha jumped back as Doc Rios approached her. "It's fine, I'll check her out." Rachel said, her voice stronger then it had been back at the docks.

Maybe she saw it as her way to redeem herself for her failures. Maybe she just understood what Alisha was going through, she was only seconds away from sharing the same fate and she wasn't to warm about the idea of Doc Rios checking her out, but she could feel the skin on her cheeks burning from the hits she'd taken. She was sure a few ribs were either bruised or broken by the feel of it and the jacket rubbing against the burns was anything but comfortable or painless.

"let's get you to the infirmary." Rachel said, wrapping an arm around Alisha's waist, hoping it would be enough to get the woman there. Kara walking in front of them, holding having lost contact with Danny, coming aboard the Nathan James was like all property rules were back.

Rachel had just gotten out of the infirmary. Doc Rios had barely been able to check her out, being jump and skittish about the idea of a man checking her out, checking out her wounds, but she hadn't worn anything under that jacket.

She would be forever grateful to Garnett when she had brought the BDU's, it felt quite oddly against her skin as she wore the Navy uniform, but she couldn't be picky. Not about the fact that Doc Rios had to check and care for her wounds, so she could check both Kara and Alisha, neither about the fact that she was now wearing the Navy uniform.

At first Alisha had been fighting, not wanting to get checked out, but the words of Kara and Rachel had managed to convince her to do it, anyway. Maybe it had been bribing and bullying as Rachel had threatened to not give the okay to go back to the bridge. But it had worked.

With Kara at her head, not holding a grudge against Alisha for what her mother had tried to to do, both to her and the baby. She'd need time to recover from it all. But more so psychological.

Rachel wasn't a psychologist, but promised to be there for Alisha when she needed to talk.

Now she was on her way to the Captains quarters, wanting to check on his kids and dad. She wanted to see their recovery for herself after being administered the cure.

With a soft knock against the metal door she waited for the door to be opened, Kara had been able to fill her in a bit more, Danny having told her what they had found after Kara had bribed him for information and she was revolted by what happened, the captain's wife having been burned at an extermination camp, she couldn't believe they were making sick people believe they had the cure, only to end up killing them and burning them as fuel.

People, human bodies being used as fuel, shaking her head at the idea, the door in front of her was opened. "Captain." She whispered softly. Having been in the company with only woman for the last hour had been quite comforting, keeping up the idea that there weren't man around trying to hurt her. But now standing in front of one, reminded her she was on a ship full of man.

Not that the one in front of her would hurt her. She had feelings for him, but that wasn't what convinced her of the idea of him not hurting her. At least not in the way they had tried to back at Advocet.

"Rachel." He breathed out. "I wanted to check on your family" she explained, "come in" he said, moving aside to let her in.

"dad, Sam, Ashley, this is Dr. Rachel Scott, she's the one who made the cure." Tom said, motioning to me. "hey." She whispered, pulling at the navy shirt she was wearing. Placing her medical bag on the desk she pulled out her stethoscope and blood pressure cuff.

"so we owe our lives to you." his father said, extending his hand. "I'm Jed, Tom's dad." He introduced himself. "I'm not responsible for that alone. Hadn't it been for this crew and the support of the captain, I doubt we'd have the cure. They're as much accountable for it as I am." Rachel explained, checking his sores and muscles.

"How are you feeling?" Rachel asked, sitting down on the coffee table so she was on eye level as she attached the cuff, aware that tom's eyes were looking at her every move.

"still pretty tired, but much better then I felt;" he explained, a soft smile on his face. "that's good, if you feel anything, don't be afraid to tell me or approach me." She assured him as she shuffled on the table so she was sitting in front of Sam.

"How are you feeling, little man?" she asked, doing the same check she had done with Jed. "my tummy hurts and tired." He replied, looking at me through his dropping eyes. "he vomited back on land;" Jed said, next to him. "Might be a side effect of the Cure." Rachel replied, listening to his lungs.

"you still feel like you have to vomit?" Rachel asked, him, lowering her head so she was eye level with him. "not so much." He replied, the tiredness evident in his voice. "I'll give you something for that." Rachel replied, getting up and walking to her medical bag, preparing a syringe, adding some pain relief that would make him sleep, hoping a good night's rest would do him some good.

She injected Sam with the syringe before moving onto Ashley, checking her before getting up. "you'll be alright, you'll feel the effect of the Red Flu for a couple more days, but you'll make a full recovery." She told them, looking more at Jed and at tom out of the corner of her eye then at the kids.

Getting her supplies back in the bag she walked back to the door. "Rachel?" she heard behind her, making her jump a little, not having expected for anyone to follow her out. "Captain;" she said, after getting her heartbeat under control.

"thanks for checking them out." He nodded his head back to his room. "Of course and I'm very sorry that I wasn't able to save your wife." Rachel said, looking at her very interesting shoes all of a sudden.

Tom couldn't believe she was taking responsibility for that, just having seen her care for his children and father with such a soft touch and care, made the spot he had for her in his heart grow with every soft caress on his children's faces. And now she held herself accountable for his wife's death, only he was responsible for that, no one else.

"hey." He said, taking a step closer to her, lifting her chin. "you aren't responsible for Darien's death, if it wasn't for you my kids and father wouldn't be alive. I owe you their lives, I owe you my and my crew's life." He told her, hoping he would be able to convince her.

"but still," she started protesting. "no, my children are alive because of you. you're not responsible for Darien's dead, I am." he ended in a whisper as the pain for his dead wife hadn't lessened one bit, not that he expected for it to lessen, he'd been married for over 15 years to Darien loved her every second of it, still did even now. He'd always cherish the memories he'd made with her, his kids in which he had a piece of her.

He'd never forget his wife. Never forget the memories of him, never lose the feeling at having failed her, having failed to be there to safe her, to even hold her hand as she died.

"no, don't think that. You did everything you could, you're a good man Tom, I'm sure your wife knew you tried everything to save her and be there for her." Rachel whispered, giving in to the feeling of wanting to comfort him somehow, her hand being placed against his cheek, being the one thing that she could think off.

he couldn't help but lean into her touch, the soft caress of his cheek of her thumb as she told him that he was a good man, it seemed her words were able to sink in a bit, as he believed her, or at least a little.

"if there is anything with the kids or your father don't hesitate to get me. I'm sure they'll be feeling like this for a couple more days." Rachel told him, still caressing his cheek as she enjoyed the feeling of his skin under her touch, the stubble on his cheek, out of character for him, but she welcomed it none the less.

"How are Kara and Alisha?" he asked, the fact that he diddn't name them with their formal names, was enough evidence for Rachel that he truly cared about this people and not just because they were his crew, he cared about the people who made up his crew.

"Kara will be fine, I'd like to do an ultrasound though, I can't really check on the baby like this, but I believe both of them will be fine. Alisha will need time," she told him, seeing the guilt in his eyes, wanting to take away his guilt.

"Well, the warlords are expecting us back on land, we're going to help them create some control in the next few days, set up the lab here, I'm sure there'll be an ultrasound machine there somewhere, I'll make sure it gets on board, maybe along with some other stuff, I have a feeling that baby will be born on this ship." He chuckled softly.

"I think you might be right." Rachel agreed, if Baltimore was any proof to how the new world had become, they might have to make the Nathan James there home. They would have to try to spread the cure, but if this is what the world had become like, maybe it wasn't worth saving anymore. Kicking herself at her own thoughts she said. "I'm going to go and see what ravage they did to the lab." Rachel said, taking her hand away from his cheek.

Rachel regretted the moment immediately, she knew he wasn't hers, probably would never be hers, that didn't do the feeling she had for him any good, she couldn't turn off those feelings for him, even if she wanted to.

Tom felt sad as he felt her pull away, losing the caressing and oddly comforting touch of her hand and thumb, yea he was definitely feeling things he shouldn't for this woman, definitely after losing his wife, he couldn't just push her memory aside, he never would.

"Maybe you should get some sleep." Tom suggested. "yea, afterwards." Rachel said in her usual stubborn manner, Baltimore hadn't broken her, not completely at least, there were crevices, but that's what made you stronger, she believed. She wouldn't be broken, not after how far she'd gotten already.

"Well, then it seems even now you're wearing the uniform, you won't listen to the captain." Tom chuckled softly, "already told you, I'm would never go in the navy." Rachel replied with a chuckle.

"Well, the uniform definitely suits you;" Tom complimented, checking her out and he had to admit she wore the uniform very well.

"Doc Rios said to get this on ice ASAP." Mike stated coming into the lab as Rachel was ordering the files they had thrown everywhere, "sorry I didn't mean to startle you." he apologised, leaning against her desk.

"Don't worry, I think I need some more time." She admitted sheepishly. Mike pulled out the primordial strain. Rachel looked at him with extreme gratefulness.

"thank you." she whispered getting emotional as she wrapped her fingers around the small bottle. "thank Doc Rios and Quincy." He ended with a downcast look. Nodding her head she pulled the bottle to her chest.

"I'm thanking you as well." Rachel smiled sadly as she took a step forward and hugged him with extreme gratefulness for saving the most important thing. "Your welcome." He said, "now get it on ice." He chuckled, pulling back and walking out the door.

She quickly put it on ice, the only available and saved fridge. She started making a list of things they'd need to get from the mainland, she had lost a lot of things, hopefully the lab would be able to provide her with some stuff.

She knew going back there wouldn't be easy but she had to, for herself to get over what had happened.

 **So that's the chapter. I hope you liked it, let me know what you think, if you have any ideas you'd like me to incorporate I'll do my best to involve it in the story.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Massive thanks for the Reviews, it means the world to me to read those. I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far, I'd hate to mess those characters up, I only try to do them justice. so a lot of thanks to tmtcltb, forestraider121 , Aleksa7100 and Scousedancer.**

 **So here's the next chapter, I hope you enjoy it. Please do let me know what you think**

"Captain Chandler I need to go there." Apparently this hadn't changed, no matter how much both of them realised that they were having feelings for each other, this didn't change.

Their arguments, Rachel's stubbornness and independence and Tom's sense of trying to protect her, and she always fought it. at least that seemed to him. He tried to protect her with everything he could a cause it was his mission to protect her and b cause  
he cared for her a great deal. But she always fought him for it.

Like this morning, they were going back to the mainland to set up the lab and create some order in the chaos. Normally the scientists would be informed of the creating process by doc Rios, Rachel had explained to process to him after all, but Rachel had  
come on the deck and demanded to go back to the mainland herself, to gather the new things she needed for her now almost destroyed lab.

"I'll make sure you have everything." Tom promised, trying to snatch the paper in her hand, on which he assumed was a list with things she'd needed, he doubted she'd gotten much sleep, both by the made paper and the bags underneath her eyes.

"it isn't about that." She whispered, not wanting to explain the reason why she needed to go back, she needed to go back to start processing what happened to her, she needed to go back to where it happened.

"then what is it about?" the captain demanded, running out of patience with her. "I need to go back." She whispered, hoping he'd get the hidden meaning. "why would you need to go back there; we'll bring you everything you need." He said, no longer with  
a raised voice.

"captain, please I don't want to explain, but I need to go back there." Emphasizing the word 'there'. He nodded his head, Rachel didn't care that it was because he finally understood or gave in, she was just happy she could go there.

Tom finally understood why, and he was willing to give it to her. "one condition you don't leave my side." He warned, moving aside so she could go down the side of the ship and into the RHIBS.

"Fine by me." She agreed, getting down the ladder on the side. "joining us again." Tex chuckled moving aside so I could sit next to him, not wanting to be unfriendly, he'd become a great friend to me, but he'd never be more than that. Tex had realised  
that after Baltimore and seeing her lying in the captain's arms. But that wouldn't stop him from teasing her and flirting with her like he had before, it was who he was after all, the way everyone knew him to be.

The RHIBS started going down the water, the captain standing by the wheel of the small boat as we arrived back on the docks. When they got out Rachel was about to follow Green into one of the cars when she felt a hand wrap around her upper arm. "remember  
the agreement." Tom whispered, his hot breath sending a shiver down her spine as he directed them to a car.

Going back into Advocet was though on Rachel, being back in the place she had been tortured, the burn and wounds on her body still hurting with every movement she made. Soon scars would cover those places and she hoped that being here, would help her  
process what had happened here.

But being there, standing in front of the entrance she wasn't so sure about it anymore. "You okay?" tom asked, having observed her from the moment she got in the car, knowing this would be tough on her, but it had been what she needed, but tom wasn't  
so sure about it, definitely when she stayed in the car, staring at the entrance, the team joining them here had already gone inside. "You okay?" tom asked her, not being able to stand the panicking look on her face.

"I thought coming here would help me." She whispered in the softest tone above a whisper, he could see by the look on her face that she wasn't there really, staring out in front of her. "We could stay in the car." Tom suggested, reaching for her hand,  
between them, she'd comforted him last night or at least been there for him in the P-way, he only wanted to be there for her now, the look on her face pained him.

"no, I need to do this." She said, sure of it as she turned to me, a look of certainty on her face, giving his hand a squeeze. "whenever you're ready." He said, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. Her hand moved to the lever and opened the door.

Both of them got out of the car and went inside, the team making sure everything on Rachel's list was loaded into one of the Advocet van's as Rachel started the process of making the cure in the lab. Explaining the process to the scientists. Tom never  
moving away from her side as he followed her, he'd once left her here, he still wasn't sure of what happened to them, yea, when they had entered the room Alisha was being raped, but had the same happened to Rachel, the thought alone, almost made him  
run for the bin and puke his guts out.

Rios had told him the extent of her injuries, burns from being electrocuted with jumper cables at least that's what Tom assumed having seen it in that room. Whilst in Advocet he made sure to keep her away from that room as much as possible

back on board the Nathan James we left Baltimore, several scientists we hoped to spread at some point had joined us, giving Rachel actual time to rest. Not that she had gotten any. She had gone to her Cabin laid down, but after an hour or so, she'd woken  
up from horrible nightmare. Soaked in sweat, shivering at the memory of it.

pulling on a sweater, still dressed in her sweat pants she got out and onto the deck in front of the bridge, I just needed to be alone, or not, Rachel didn't know what she wanted, Tom always managed to calm her down, whenever he was around her she felt  
safe, like nothing bad could happen to her, she still remembered her lips on his in the Vyereni, it was to pass that note, but still they had kissed, their tongue's trying to pass the note in her mouth.

And then back after the successful trial, the hug, being enveloped in his arms was the safest she'd ever felt. The she'd ever feel that was for sure, her feelings had definitely grown over the last two weeks since their kiss.

But how would he ever return those feelings, his wife had just died, he had to worry about his kids and his father. She had to try and forget her feelings for him. It could never be, it wasn't meant to be. And right now she had to deal with her nightmares  
of being tortured in Advocet.

"I thought you were resting," someone said behind Rachel, she'd nearly jumped out of her skin at it, nearly overboard. "Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you like that." Jed apologized, approaching her. "no need, I'm just a bit on edge;" she tried to make  
him feel better, the guilty look on his face wasn't what she had wanted him to feel.

"I heard something about you being taken back in Baltimore." He asked, "yea, I was" Rachel admitted with a sad smile, staring out in front of her, looking down as the ship cut into the ocean below them.

"I'm sorry to hear that." He whispered. "I'm sorry about your daughter-in-law. I can imagine it can't be easy." Rachel noted, wanting to change the subject, taking her gaze from below and at Jed.

"It isn't, the kids are the hardest, they just lost their mom and I feel guilty for not being able to protect her, to save her for my son." He whispered, now he was the one looking ahead. "I'm sure the Captain doesn't hold anything against you." she tried  
to assure him, by placing her hand on his arm, leaning on the railing.

"he doesn't, he blames himself." Jed told her what she already knew. "He needs time; the kids will need time." Rachel whispered, staring out in front of her knowing all too well how she had felt when her mother died.

"time is a rare thing these days." He muttered. "I know; the vaccine is something that will give it back to people." I replied. "you know I don't believe in any god or religion; I don't really have any religious beliefs. I'm a woman of science and facts."  
Rachel started explaining, not knowing why she had decided to start explaining that, she hadn't told many people that, but somehow Tom's father had a similar effect on Rachel, not as much as Tom, but a little, Rachel blamed the Chandler genes.

"I believe everything happens for a reason, whatever that may be, it might not make sense while it happens, but after a little while, when some time has past, it'll make sense." Rachel explained in a soft tone, turning her head so she was looking at Jed.

"that's a nice way of living." He agreed with a small smile. "How are you and the kids?" Rachel asked, feeling stupid for not having asked before. "like you said we're still feeling some of the effects, but we're getting better, maybe you would like to  
check the children for yourself." He suggested with a secret smile.

"You know what, I think I might." Rachel chuckled, turning around her back against the railing, looking over the ship, she could see some people or rather outlines of people walking through the window of the bridge.

Others were walking around on the deck. "Where are the kids?" Rachel asked, wanting to go and check them herself, feeling stupid she hadn't done it herself earlier.

"I think they were in the mesh hall." He replied with a nod of his head in the direction of the ship behind him.

"I'll see you around." She smiled, walking off, trying to find Tom's children, going to the place Jed had told her they might be, but as she walked towards the Mesh hall, the children ran into her. "hey Dr. Rachel." Both Ashley and sam greeted her. "hey  
guys. You can call me Rachel." She chuckled, crouching down in front of them.

"How are you two feeling?" she asked, running both her hands down their arms. "we're feeling better." Ashley smiled, "you mind if I check on you two again?" Rachel asked, getting up from her crouching position, moving a bit aside, the kids in her arms  
as she moved them to the side as well, as the several people moved through.

She ushered them down to the lab, her medical bag there. After checking them both out, making sure they were recovering as she had hoped they were they asked if they could stay with her for a bit.

"Sure, if you don't mind me working a bit, while you're here, maybe you could help me." She suggested, not wanting to make them feel completely useless. She started rearranging the lab, Beatrice soon joining them, apparently all the scientist we're somewhere  
else in the ship, for which she was grateful.

The four of them rearranged the lab, putting the new things they had gotten from the mainland in their place. Now they were busy rearranging things she decided to arrange the lab a bit different.

Sam had fallen asleep on the small cot Rachel had been using during her time on the Nathan James. "Will you stay with me?" he asked, looking up at her as he laid down on the cot. "of course." Rachel smiled, sitting down next to the bed, keeping an eye  
on Beatrice and Ashley from the corner of her eye.

She crossed her legs and rested her arm on the cot, holding sam's hand in hers. "I miss my mom." He admitted, tears in his eyes. "I know, little man." Rachel said, she could really say what it was to be in those shoes, her mom having died when she was  
nine. Rachel always hated the sentence:" I know what you're going through.' Nobody knew what it was to go through something until you actually went through it.

"I'm sure you're mom is still watching over you from somewhere, making sure you're okay." She told him, hoping it would give him some comfort. "you think so?" he asked, a tear slipping out of his eye. "I do, you know my mom died, when I was your age;"  
she started explaining, not that she liked talking about it, not at all, it was a painful subject. Her father having failed to see that science would help her.

Faith and believing in Gods wasn't healing or saving anyone, but he believed it did, he'd killed her mom, that's how Rachel saw it at least. "yea?" he asked, squeezing Rachel's hand.

"yea and I still miss her, but I think she's still here somewhere, watching over me, probably sitting next to your mom right now;" Rachel smiled, hoping that maybe it might be true, for all the science she believed, maybe it was a bit hypocritical to  
believe in that stuff, but it was what helped her through her loss all those years ago and still does sometimes.

"You think so?" he asked, leaning on his elbows. "yea, I do." Rachel smiled, running her fingers through his hair, only now she saw how much of Tom there was in these kids, mostly the eyes, those clear blue sky eyes, those eyes that could make you feel  
that they were literally staring into your soul.

Like those eyes staring back at her. "I think so to." He sighed, laying back down. "Will you stay with me?" he asked. "I'm not going anywhere" she assured him and she would keep her promise.

When dinner came around Beatrice asked if she should take Ashley with her to eat something, but Ashley had sat down beside Rachel and her brother, telling Beatrice she'd rather stay down here with her brother and Rachel. Beatrice left with the promise  
of bringing back food, Rachel having promise that she wouldn't go anywhere wouldn't leave Sam's side either, she didn't want him to frightened waking up and seeing no one there and she could imagine he had some fear of abandonment now.

Ashley had apparently overheard her talking to Sam about her mom and tried to seek some reassurance from Rachel as well. "you tired?" Rachel asked, running her hand through Ashley's hair. "yea. Well, we still have a spare cot." Rachel said, getting up,  
but Sam's hand had too big of a hold on hers. "Will you take his hand while I search for the cot?" Rachel asked Ashley.

She did as she was asked, whilst Rachel got one of the beds used during the trial and placed it across of Sam's, taking blanket as well Ashley laid down, Rachel tucked her in before settling down between the two cots. One of her hand in each of the children's  
hands tightly gripped by them.

half an hour later, the kids were still asleep. The only sound in the room was the breathing of the two kids on each side of Rachel and Rachel's breathing herself, she hadn't slept much, having woken up from the nightmare and the breathing of the two  
kids was able to lull her to sleep, her head was already resting on Sam's cot.

When the metal door to the lab flew open. "Rachel, I can't find my kids," Tom said, worry

Waving off from him. "shhh." Rachel shushed, lifting her head. "there here." Rachel said, assuring him that they were okay.

Walking around the desk he finally laid eyes on his kids, he'd been worried sick when his father had informed him that he couldn't find his kids, all thoughts had run through his mind, maybe they'd fallen over board, he couldn't let his mind wander there.  
But his eyes finally resting on his kids, put his heart back it its normal pace.

Breathing a sigh of relief as he saw they were okay. He got a warm and fluttering feeling in his chest as he looked at Rachel sitting on the ground between his two kids, both her hands in his kids hands.

"I didn't mean to worry you." Rachel apologised looking up from her spot where she sat. "don't worry, I'm just glad they're in good hands." Tom smiled, crouching down between the two beds, giving Ashley and Sam a kiss on their head.

"thanks for taking care of them." Tom whispered, looking between his children. "Your welcome. They're great kids." Rachel smiled, first looking at Sam and Ashley, before ending with her eyes on Tom.

"that's all Darien, I wasn't around much, she did most of the raising." Tom explained, looking ahead. "have they been asleep for long?" he asked, "sam an hour maybe, Ashley a bit less. I'm sorry I didn't inform you they were here, it's just Sam asked  
me not to leave him and I didn't have the heart to say no;" Rachel explained, feeling sorry that she had worried the Captain about his children's wellbeing, she hadn't thought about it until he came storming into the lab.

"I guess, this will be a place I'll be looking first from now on." He chuckled, petting the heads of his kids. "have they eaten?" he asked, "no, Beatrice was going to bring back some dinner." Rachel explained; looking at the door, to see if she was coming  
back.

"Well, maybe you'd like to join us in the mesh hall?" Tom asked, looking up at her, the warm feeling he'd felt before by looking at Rachel and his kids hadn't left his chest as he saw how she looked at them, having heard she didn't have the heart to leave  
them.

she cared for his children already, maybe it was crazy to think so but it made him feel special, knowing she cared for his kids already. To know that they had someone to turn to after having lost their mom and while he had to work.

Just then Beatrice entered the lab, carrying three plates of dinner, "sorry, I didn't come earlier, Captain sorry I hadn't seen you were here." Beatrice stopped rambling as she saw the captain sitting in front of Rachel. "Don't worry about it sweety.  
Thanks for bringing dinner." Rachel thanked her. "Can I do something else?" Beatrice asked, looking at the scene in front of her and hoped that what everybody could see, except for the people there in front of her would become a reality.

Maybe it would be a nice ending to the story, to have the two saviours of the world become a couple, maybe she just wanted her mother figure to be happy, cause she did see Rachel as her mother figure, not that she had told Rachel that, but she would be  
forever grateful to the scientist.

She'd taken her under her wing, like a mother would have, teaching her to be her assistant, caring for her outside of the lab and inside, being there when she had a tough time.

"No, thanks Beatrice, why don't you take the evening off." Rachel suggested with a motherly smile on her face.

"thank you." Beatrice whispered softly, before turning around.

"or we could have dinner here?" the Captain chuckled when Beatrice left the lab, I'll get a plate myself and some drinks." He said, getting up and walking out the door after kissing the head of his kids, ten minutes later after Rachel had woken the kids  
up, the Captain returned in his one hand his plate with dinner, in his other several bottles.

"Daddy." Both kids jumped up, running in the direction of their father. "hey guys did you have a great time with Dr Scott?" Chandler asked, looking down at his kids, placing the stuff on the dr. desk and hugging his kids, a confirmation that they were  
indeed still alive and well. Safely in his arms.

The kids started rambling about what they had done to help Rachel, it wasn't lost on him that they called her Rachel, neither was the enthusiasm with what they spoke lost on him, it seemed that Rachel had that effect on everyone.

They settled around the desk in ate dinner, the kids explaining in great and enthusiastic detail about what they had done during the day, Rachel and Tom laughing once in a while.

"so they were with Rachel, this entire time?" Jed asked a knowing smirk on his face as he looked at his son. He'd seen the way in which he looked at Rachel, the saviour and maker of the Vaccine, he was very fond of the woman, not that he'd spent a lot  
of time with her, but the time he'd spent with her he had grown fond of her.

Of her spirit, the way she saw everything, her personality and then there was the small fact that he owed his life to her, as was his sons and his grandchildren. He would be in depth to her forever.

He had seen how his son looked at her, he knew he was still grieving about Darien, he understood that he'd be grieving for a long time, but that didn't take away that he saw how his son was looking at Rachel.

Rachel had the same look in her eye though, he'd heard the stories going around that everyone on the ship was either thinking they were together already although most were now rooting for them to get together after they'd learned what happened to his  
wife, even his crew was seeing what the two idiots didn't see.

"yea, she had been taking care of them all afternoon." Tom replied, thinking back to how he'd found his kids on either side of Rachel as she watched over them, holding their hand softly.

The look wasn't lost on Jed as he looked at Tom. "You like her?" he asked, but it was more of a statement. "everyone likes her on this ship, she saved everyone." Tom shrugged the question off, knowing all to well what the second meaning behind the question  
had been.

"yea, I have noticed she's loved around here." Jed snorted softly, he couldn't belief he'd raised his son to be so daft. "I'm talking about your son." Jed said, not beating around the bush.

"what's that supposed to mean?" Tom questioned, wanting to avoid the question at all. He knew what his father was getting at, but he didn't want to talk about it, he didn't want to face his feelings going through his body for Rachel, he still felt conflicted  
about it, like he was cheating on his wife. She was only dead for less than a week. What he should just forget about her and move on, he couldn't do that.

He couldn't, he still loved his wife for nearly 17 years, he couldn't just put that aside, she'd been his life for 17 years. And now she was gone, he stil couldn't believe that Darien wasn't there anymore. What was he supposed to do without her, what  
were his kids supposed to do without her.

Their mother had always been the one constant in their lives, when he was out doing his job with the navy. And now they had lost that, he'd tried to be there for them as much as possible so far, but he was still the Captain of the ship, needing to lead  
these people, get them back after what had happened in Baltimore.

It had left their mark on the crew. Some more than others, he still hadn't found out what happened to Alisha and Rachel, Alisha hadn't spoken to anyone since coming aboard and Rachel pretended like nothing happened.

And he wanted to know what happened. He needed to know what happened in order to help his people, help Rachel, he'd seen it in her eyes, she wasn't the Rachel who'd left the ship in Baltimore, she'd changed during those short hours off the ship and he  
hated it, to see her hurt and not being able to help. He wanted to help her.

But how could he help her when he was barely keeping his family together. When his family was still mourning the loss of a wife, a mother.

"You know what I mean tommy." His father said, "I can't dad." He said, getting up and leaving the room. He couldn't.

 **So that's the chapter. I hope you enjoyed it, please do let me know what you think.**


	5. Chapter 5

**first of all thanks for the nice reviews on the last chapter. It makes me glad that you're still enjoying it all. so thanks tmtcltb,jag389, forestraider121, Scousedancer.**

Several weeks had passed since that night. They were still at sea, not finding another place to go on land, the trust in the people on land had decreased a whole lot since Baltimore, how could they trust the people, they'd trusted them once and look where it got them.

Rachel had continued to grow close to the Captain's kids. It wasn't an uncommon scene to have them helping out where they could or to see them in the lab. During breaks Rachel and Beatrice would sit on the flight deck while Ashley, Sam and Ava would be playing.

Ever since Jed had confronted Tom about what he'd observed from between him and Rachel, he'd been playing and hide and seek game with her, only keeping it professional. At first Rachel had put it down to the fact that he'd maybe realised that his wife wasn't there anymore and he needed time.

But when the time stretched on and she had confronted him in the P-way, Well confronted is a big word, she'd ask if there was anything she could do to help, his reply had made her keep her distance as well. "there is nothing you can do but your job, Dr. Scott." The coldness in his voice had been like a cold shower to Rachel.

Tom had regretted the words the moment they had come out of his mouth, but he didn't want to admit to it, not wanting to be unfaithful to his wife or her memory, so he'd done the only thing he though would help, act cold and aloof towards the woman he cared greatly about, the women this entire crew cared about, seeing his kids growing close with her had just been another reason why he could act on those feelings, but he just pushed her away.

Eye for an eye Rachel had thought acting aloof and cold in reply to his attitude, but she couldn't get these kids in between their fight. Well they just weren't talking to each other, avoiding one another. Jed was the one picking the kids up when it was time for dinner or bed.

Rachel had her hands full though. She'd cleared Alisha to go back to work on the bridge, but only last week she'd started freaking out when Mike had passed by her and touched her, not with wrong intent but she'd freaked out, ran to the chart room and locked herself in there.

Rachel had been the one sitting on the ground in front of the door for two hours, bribing her, talking to her and convincing her to open the door, in the end she had succeeded, but the results was that she had been declared ready for work.

It seemed that along with a doctor and virologist she was now also a Psychologist, but it was the one thing that got her through it. she needed to help others to avoid the nightmares form being tortured, she needed to help others to avoid thinking back to Baltimore, she slept even less then she had done then during the time of finding the cure.

She knew she had to get more rest and sleep, but didn't want to wake up drenched in sweat again or screaming, thank god her quarters were located a bit away from the others. But day by day she could feel herself getting more and more exhausted, she was only keeping up appearances for when others were around, she knew she had to take care of herself better in order to spread the cure, sure they had made landfall once since Baltimore, they spread the cure in the town and left enough doses to treat another 750 people should they go there, a couple of scientist had left as well, wanting to seek a lab maybe.

Getting up she was hit again by a dizzy spell. She had only been eating small bits here and there, mostly when the Ashley and Sam were around, she should know better she scolded herself, she had just gotten so much into her work, trying to forget, it worked, is she kept her mind busy enough with stuff, she forgot, but that also meant that sometimes she forgot to eat, along with separating herself from the crew.

Kara had only confronted her about it yesterday when she had come to the lab, forcing Rachel to eat a sandwich along with her.

What she hadn't counted on was the fact that she'd get so weak, her body would stop working, her vision got blurry as she made her way from the desk to the lab. Black spots covering her eyes and the last thing she saw was the lab turning around.

Sam and Ashley had just made a drawing each to give to Rachel up in the Mesh hall. Their grandfather watching them as Tom was busy on the bridge and Rachel was busy making more doses of the cure. He'd wanted the both of them to get some more time, he was nearly ready to strangle them both.

He had seen first-hand how they started playing the cat and mouse game. Every time he'd start the conversation with his son, he'd run out of the room. "can we go and give them to Rachel?" Ashley asked, holding up her drawing.

"sure, come back though, Rachel has work to do." He warned them as he saw his grandchildren run off to find Rachel. He chuckled at their enthusiasm as he could still hear them at the end of the P-way.

Ashley opened the door letting in her brother first before going into the helicopter bay herself. She noticed that the computer of Rachel was open, so she should have been there as she looked around she couldn't see her anywhere. "Rachel we made you a drawing." Sam yelled out, full of enthusiasm as he walked towards the plastic containment around the lab.

The drawing in his hand falling out of his hand the moment he saw Rachel lying on the floor. "Rachel!" he yelled out, running to her side and touching her head softly, Ashley only a second behind him, pushing Rachel's hair back. "Rachel?" Ashley whispered, scared as she wasn't supposed to lie there in the middle of the ground and when her hand touched something wet, she pulled her hand back and started panicking, when she saw blood covered her hand, Sam crying next to her as he tried to shake her awake.

"SAM GO AND GET DAD." Ashley yelled, trying to keep her tears at bay herself; she didn't want to lost her friend. "no, you go." Sam yelled in reply, holding Rachel's hand now. "okay. Just try to wake her okay, sam?" Ashley asked, placing her hand on his shoulder as she got up.

Sam nodded his head as his sister took off towards the bridge, where she suspected her father was working. "DAD!" Ashely yelled, getting the same feeling as when her mother was dying, she didn't want Rachel to die either. "DAD!" she yelled again, seeing him walk at the end of the P-way she was walking down off. "Ashley, aren't you with your grandfather?" tom asked, confused as to why his daughter would be screaming at the top of her voice down the P-way.

"You have to come with me." Rachel said, taking his hand when she reached him and tugging on it, so he would follow her. "Ashley I have to work sweety." He said, looking down at his daughter, only noticed the tears in her eyes pooling now. "what's wrong?" he asked, worried that something had happened to his father or son as neither were around. "Rachel, we went to give her a drawing and she's lying on the ground, bleeding from her head." Ashley explained, holding up her hand still covered with Rachel's blood.

Panic set in tom's stomach, he'd been avoiding her for the last three weeks, not wanting to admit the growing feelings for her. He'd avoided her so much he hadn't even noticed something was wrong until now. He'd seen how tired she gotten over the last few week, but fought the feeling of wanting to check in on her.

"come on." He said, starting to run down the P-way, the words his daughter has spoken only sinking in now. He was aware that Ashley was trying to keep up with his quick pace as he made his way to the lab of Rachel.

When he finally got there and he heard his son crying, leaning over a form on the ground. "Rachel?" he whispered, not recognizing his own voice as he fell to his knees, ignoring the pain in his knees as he pushed her hair back and noticed that his hand was covered in her blood as well.

"Ashley, sam. You know where the infirmary is right?" tom asked, worriedness running through his veins as the women he had thought about for the last three weeks, had been ignoring for the last three weeks was lying unconsciously in front of him, bleeding from her head.

"yea." Ashely said, still keeping her emotions in check, she'd grown up way to soon than she should have' crossed tom's mind. "okay, I need you to go there and tell Doc Rios about what happened to Rachel, I'll bring her over there." Tom said, trying to stay as calm as possible, not wanting to worry his kids even more.

His kids turned around and ran off as he shook Rachel's body. "Rachel, sweetie, wake up." when she didn't wake up or reply he grew even more worried. His arms moving under her knees and neck he stood up with her in his arms.

"you're making a habit of this." He chuckled, hoping she'd wake up and give him shit about it, like she would have. but nothing happened as her head lulled to the side, he ran out of the lab as fast as he could and to the infirmary. Passing several of his man along the way, all of them shooting worried glances at him as he carried an unconscious woman through the ship, the worry only intensifying when they noticed who was in his arms and saw the blood on her cheek from where she had lain against the ground.

Word spread quickly throughout the ship that Rachel had been unconscious, bleeding and in the Captain's arms.

All sort of thoughts ran through the captain's mind is he carried the women he knew he loved by now was lying unconscious in his arms, he couldn't lose her to, not so soon, not after having lost Darien already.

He couldn't lose her not after being so stupid, he had been stupid and was kicking himself up the ass as he remembered how he'd treated her in the last few weeks, and for what, his father was right, this was a while new world they lived in, in a normal world, he would never have moved on from his wife of 15 years so fast. He'd never have another women, not after losing his dear Darien.

But times were different now. Everything had changed and surprisingly this women had crossed his path, what bothered him the most though was that his feelings for her had started even before he'd known his wife was death, so in his mind he'd cheated on his wife, he'd kissed Rachel on board the Vyereni

Ever since then his bubbling under the surface feelings were that, he just thought that he cared deeply for the scientist cause she was his mission but after that kiss he'd started realising that there might something more to it.

And now he was running through his ship worried like hell for this women, who he'd been ignoring for what. He couldn't think about the fact that he might never get the chance to tell her now. No she'd come back and be arguing with him as usual before he knew it.

Doc Rios met him halfway the P-way of the infirmary. "What happened?" he asked, looking at Rachel, who had become a friend of him now as well. Someone he respected more then anyone, maybe the captain.

"she was lying on the ground like that, the kids found her, I don't know, she's not responding." Tom babbled on as he laid her down on the bed in the infirmary. His kids sitting on the bed of the room in the infirmary. "guy, why don't you go and find grandpa, tell him what happened?" he suggested. "no, dad. We want to stay with Rachel." His son objected and he could see how scared both of them were.

They had already watched their mother die in front of their eyes, in the most painful death anyone could imagine. He didn't want them to see Rachel like this. "come on guys, I don't want your grandpa to hear it from the crew." He tried, hoping they would be bribed with that.

"okay." Ashley whispered getting up as he heard doc Rios working behind him. "come on Sam." She said, holding out her hand for her brother to take.

"no, I don't want Rachel to die to." He started crying. "hey bud." Tom crouched in front of his son. "Rachel won't die," he told him, trying to sound as convincing as possible.

"you promise?" Sam asked his dead. "I promise." He just hoped he wouldn't have to break that promise.

"okay." Sam whispered softly, accepting Ashley's hand and walking out of the infirmary. He got up and walked to the bed where Rachel lay. "What's wrong with her?" Tom asked, the worry sounded evidently in his voice even to him.

And it definitely wasn't lost on doc Rios, he along with the entire crew had seen how his captain and the scientist were with each other, he was among the many, rooting for them to get together, not that they do that where the captain or Rachel would see it.

He had also seen how they had avoided one another for the last few weeks. But seeing the captain here in his infirmary. Worried about the woman lying on the bed, in the middle of the room, he was even more sure than ever that he loved the women.

But he also suspected that the captain hadn't acted on them cause of his wife that had died only a month ago. But this was a different world.

"she's dehydrated and beyond exhaustion, I'm going to put her on an IV and keep her here until she's awake, I fear I won't be able to keep her here longer." He ended with a chuckle, after all the entire crew knew how stubborn the women could be.

"she'll stay as long as you need her to stay" the captain said in a voice where his crew wouldn't have argued, but as Rachel always pointed she wasn't part of his Navy crew and he couldn't tell her what to do. Rios would make sure he was far out of reach for that argument.

"what about her head?" the captain asked, pushing her hair back as he looked at her with loving eyes. "she hit her head when she hit the floor, I'll stitch it up, I'm pretty sure she'll have a concussion but we won't know until she wakes up and I'd rather have her wake up soon, to make sure she doesn't have any brain bleed." Rios explaining, putting in the IV.

A knock on the door, stopped both men with what they were doing in Tom's case it was staring at Rachel as if she'd disappear if he'd take his eyes of her and Rios was putting the IV bag on the pole.

"come in." Rios said, the door opening a second later, mike walking in and by the sound of things, other people were standing in the P-way. "I heard that you carried her here, what happened?" Mike asked, coming to stand next to Tom, he had grown fond of the scientist. He knew Tom was denying his feelings for her, but that didn't take away he couldn't care about her, but more like a father would care for his daughter.

"she's dehydrated and exhausted, I don't think she's had much sleep in the last week." Rios replied. "will she be okay?" Mike asked, looking at Rios. "she should be. Probably a concussion from hitting her head on the floor, she'll need rest and fluids, but she'll be fine. We all know how stubborn she is." Rios, chuckled softly. "couldn't agree more." Mike agreed with a chuckle.

"nearly half of the crew is waiting outside in the P-way, worried for her. Can I tell them anything?" Mike asked, he understood why the crew was worried, but he also needed to make sure the ship was being operated and by the looks of it he would be taking over for his captain in the coming days.

"Yea, assure them she'll be fine and needs rest. Rachel will tell them more if she wants them to." Tom told his XO with a small smile.

After setting Rachel down in the below bunk bed, the Captain took a chair and sat down by her bedside, he'd already made the mistake of ignoring her for three weeks, he didn't want her to wake up alone also, he promised himself that when she woke up, he'd tell her why. He needed to apologize, he only hoped he would get the chance, that she'd give him a chance to apologize.

"Mike will you take the lead on the bridge?" Tom asked, looking up at Mike. "don't worry about it" Mike assured him, before leaving the door. Tom could here that he was telling the crew to go back to work and that Rachel would be fine.

Taking her hand in his he whispered softly. "don't make me break my promise to Ashley and Sam."

How could he have been so stupid, he'd hurt her without wanting to. Or maybe he did to try and keep her away. And now he'd pushed her to this, he'd barely seen her since his outburst. He knew from his kids that she had a lot of work and was busy in the lab, asking Beatrice to bring some food, but he doubted she ate much of it. she'd lost weight since he'd carried her in Baltimore.

He heard Rios slipping out of the room, so he was left alone with Rachel. God she could infuriate him, drive him up the walls with her stubbornness, always fighting him and arguing, it had become their thing.

But under the surface he cared about her, enjoyed the time he could spend with her and yes, might he say loved her. He still felt bad about the fact that he had fallen in love with her so soon after his wife had died, but in a way he'd been separate of her for a long time, since he'd left Norfolk to start this mission, he hadn't known about the real mission back then.

Telling himself that might him feel a slight bit better and as he now looked at Rachel the other women of his affection. He should have known after she had come to save him from the Russians that she had crawled under his skin and would crawl out of it again.

Back then he hadn't known yet that his wife would die, he still clinged to the hope of finding his family complete, along with his Darien. But that had not happened. The world had changed, was changed, all in the short time of year.

Who could imagine a year could change so much, but it had. They had to face the new world, hope that there still might some people on the mainland, good people.

Find a place where they could make port and continue their mission of distributing the cure.

But for now that vision seemed very bleak and impossible. A murmur from the bed brought him from his thoughts. "Rachel?" he whispered, getting up and crouching down next to the bed, running his hand over her head softly aware of the stitches

 **So that's the chapter. I hope you enjoyed it, let me know what you think or if you have any ideas?**


	6. Chapter 6

**So I know it's been a while, but here it is, thanks for all the nice reviews of you guys, it's much appreciated and very lovely to read.**

 **a special thanks to tmcltb for beta reading this chapter.**

 **so here is the chapter, I hope you like it, please do let me know what you think.**

"Rachel?" he asked again, looking down at her. He felt her squeeze his hand for a second time, as her head turned to the side, away from the light.

When she turned her head back towards Tom, her eyes were squinting against the light. "Tom?" Rachel asked, unsure of whether he was really there, compounded by the fact that she was still confused as to what had happened, why her head was pounding like it was, and why she was in the infirmary.

"Yeah, Rachel, it's me." Tom assured her, giving her hand a squeeze.

"What happened?" she questioned, rising up on her elbow, trying to lift herself up.

"Lay down, you have to rest," Tom said, placing his hands on her shoulders, pushing her back down.

"I need to get back to the lab." Rachel objected, pushing his hands away, or at least trying to; his hold on her was soft, yet strong as he held her down on the bed.

"Why didn't you take care of yourself?" Tom questioned, when she finally relaxed and stopped trying to get up.

"Like you care?" Rachel spat out. She had not forgotten how cold he had been acting towards her in the last few weeks, she could do the same as well.

"Of course I care about you," Tom immediately protested, shaking his head in bafflement at the suggestion that he didn't care about her. Like hell he didn't! She was the only thing he thought about all the time.

"Yeah, right." He heard her muttered as she turned her face away from him.

"Yeah, I care about you, Rachel, please look at me," he nearly begged, keeping her hand in his clasp, ignoring the fact that she tried to pull her hand away.

"The only reason you care about me is because of this mission, I basically am the mission." She ended in a whisper as she turned her glare towards him. This time she had gained back her strength a bit and sat up in one try, moving her legs over the side of the bed.

"No, that's not why I care about you." Tom shook his head, not believing his ears. But maybe he'd deserved it, after how cold he'd been acting towards her, and for what? Because he was too damn stupid to admit his feelings? The only thing he'd accomplished by avoiding her was hurt her and push her away.

"Then why?" she questioned with a simple shake of her head, looking into his eyes, not backing down. She wanted an explanation as to what she had done to deserve his coldness. She hadn't done anything wrong, at least she didn't think that she had, and if he was mad because she had spent so much time with his kids, he should have said so, instead of acting like a stupid son of a bitch.

What she hated even more than his coldness was that her feelings for him hadn't changed. She was angry at herself for still having feelings for him, after how he'd been acting towards her. He was like a virus himself, having gotten a hold on her and she couldn't get rid of him, no matter how hard she tried.

Why? Tom asked himself. Maybe his father had given him false hope or false information – the look in her eyes said anything but love. She was pissed, rightfully so, he thought, after how he'd been acting.

Should he tell her now and get his hopes crushed? Finally admit what he had been fighting and take the risk of having it smashed in his face? Thinking that actions speak louder than words, instead of telling her, he moved his free hand to the side of her face, leaning forward, closing the gap between their lips.

The moment their lips connected it was like a current of electricity was being shot through both their bodies, then was so much more than that as he put everything he felt for her in that kiss, hoping it would convince her.

He had to. Having found her like that on the floor of her lab had opened his eyes, to the extent that the last year hadn't already. His father was right, this was a changed world, a new world. He couldn't ignore the feelings coursing through his body anymore.

Rachel had been shocked when he kissed her, not having expected that at all. When she got over the surprise she leaned into his kiss, pressing against his hand where it cradling her cheek. It wasn't him alone pouring everything into the kiss, it was her as well. They had both been fighting this for a long time.

The kiss was a lot more intense than the one on the Vyerni, this wasn't the passing of a note and the fear of getting caught, this was a kiss pouring every bit of feeling they had for each that they had been fighting to deny.

When they finally separated it wasn't because they wanted to, they had to pull back so they could catch their breath, Rachel's hands were in Tom's hair pulling him closer to her, whilst Tom's was on her cheek.

Their lips disconnected, but their heads stayed together, warming each other's face as they tried to regain their breath.

"Do you know now?" Tom whispered, looking into her dark hazel eyes that held so many secrets and promising himself that he would learn those secrets.

"Yes," Rachel said in one breath.

"I'm sorry if I made you think that I didn't care about you, nothing could be further from the truth, I promise you. I was trying to understand what this," he paused, motioning his hand between their bodies, "is, and Darien hasn't been gone that long. I know we've been at sea for months now, but she's only been dead for a short time and I don't want to seem like it didn't mean anything." He rambled, but was stopped as Rachel placed a finger against his lips.

"I get it Tom, I do. And I don't want you to forget her. She meant a lot to you and to your kids. You loved her, I don't expect you to forget her, it wouldn't be you. But I don't want this last few weeks to have a repeat after this," she whispered, her hand resting on his shoulder, rubbing her thumb back and forth on his neck.

"I won't, I promise," he whispered, closing the gap between their lips again. He'd gotten a taste of her again and couldn't get enough. He had finally admitted it, he didn't want to fight it anymore.

"We can't go public, not as long as we're on this ship and I want to keep this to ourselves for a while. Figure what this is for the both of us." Tom explained, squeezing her hand again.

"We'll take things slow." Rachel agreed with a nod of her head.

"Agreed." Tom smiled, sighing in relief, it was like a weight had been lifted off of him, fighting this had taken a lot from him and now he didn't have to.

"But why didn't you take care of yourself?" Tom asked.

"I don't know, I just didn't want to face you again for you to yell at me again. It was just easier to stay in the lab, I guess." Rachel shrugged her shoulders, a bit ashamed by it. "What happened?" Shel asked, feeling her head and pulling her hand back when she felt a patch of blood.

"You fainted in the lab. Ashley and Sam found you, they got me and I carried you here." Tom explained quickly.

"Ashley and Sam?" she asked, horrified by the fact that those sweet kids had found her. They had already seen their mother die and now they had found her unconsciously, she couldn't even imagine how terrified they must have been.

"I need to see them." Rachel said, trying to get up, but she only managed to fall back down on her butt.

"No you need to rest. They're with my dad, they'll be okay." Tom tried to assure her.

"But they must be worried, I didn't mean to worry them." Rachel started rambling.

"If you want I could bring them here. But only if you promise to rest and don't give Rios a nervous breakdown," he warned with a chuckle. He knew that she would give him a run for his money, she'd probably try to escape the moment she was alone.

"Fine." She grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Good, now be a good girl, whilst I go and get Rios and my kids." He chuckled, getting up. He leant down to kiss Rachel's lips again, before turning around and leaving the infirmary

Tom walked out of the infirmary with a big smile on his face, which he had to hide as he saw Rios on the opposite wall.

"She's awake." Tom started explaining, nodding his head back towards the infirmary. "Would it be alright if I brought my kids along? It's just they found her and must be worried."

"Of course, just make sure she gets her rest, that's important now." Rios told him as Rios went into the infirmary and Tom walked to his cabin where he suspected his kids and father would be. When he didn't find them there he walked to the mess.

He found them there playing with their food. "Hey guys." He smiled, walking inside.

"How's Rachel?" The three asked the question in unison.

With a chuckle, Tom replied, "She's awake, the doctor is checking her out. You guys want to see her?"

"Yes." Ashley and Sam responded, jumping up.

"No, first you need to eat something. The doctor will be ready by the time you are finished." He ordered, sitting down at his usual place at the table.

"But….." They started protesting, with a lift of Tom's eyebrow they turned back to their plates and started eating.

"How is she?" Jed asked his son, seeing a difference in his son's mood; like the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders.

"She'll be okay; she was back to arguing again." Tom pointed out with a smile.

"You guys talked?" Jed asked, suspecting that he was right when he saw the smile cross his son's face. Previously, whenever the topic of Rachel had come up, Tom would get a grim look over his face, but now he had a broad smile on his face.

"Maybe." Tom said, hiding behind his cup of coffee.

"Son, I'm not daft." Jed told him, with a raised eyebrow.

"Good, then you should know the answer to your own question." Tom chuckled, not wanting to admit it out loud yet. He and Rachel had agreed to keep it to themselves after all, but damn his father, he was way too curious for his own good.

Rachel wasn't really happy with what Doc Rios had told her - two days of rest. Like hell!, she thought to herself. Tomorrow morning when everyone was still asleep, she'd go to her own cabin and back to work. No way would she stay in bed for two days.

Her head was propped up on several pillows when the door to the infirmary opened. "Rachel!" Two enthusiastic voices cried as both Ashley and Sam ran to the bed and into the open arms of Rachel.

"Are you going to die too?" Sam asked, pulling back to look at her with tears in his eyes.

Oof course not." Rachel assured him with a squeeze to his arm. "I just need to rest a little bit, before you know you'll be back to help me in the lab," she explained, pulling him back in the hug as Ashley sat down on the bed.

"Are you sure?" Ashley asked, taking Rachel's hand in hers.

"Absolutely." she told them with a smile, trying to hide a yawn, but Tom saw through her efforts. Rachel didn't want them to see her like that again, she had scared them once. So she tried to lengthen the time she had with them, wanting to prove that she was indeed okay and wouldn't leave them or die like their mother had.

But Tom had other plans and wanted Rachel to rest, she needed it after having collapsed from exhaustion and not taking care of herself, so now more then ever he made it his personal mission she would be taken care off, not ignoring her own health.

"Come on kids. Rachel needs to rest. You can come and visit her tomorrow morning." He said, looking at Rachel who nodded her head in confirmation.

Both kids hugged Rachel tightly, in fear of losing her as well. Before Tom ushered them out, he turned back to Rachel, quietly ordering, "Rest, okay?"

Normally Rachel would have protested and snuck out of the room, but the IV bag still attached to her prevented her from doing so she lay back down and looked up at the bottom of the bunk above her.

Maybe she could convince Tom or Rios to bring her computer or something. She'd drive herself insane if she were to lay there doing nothing.

Rachel had been released from the medical bay the next day, having bugged Rios endlessly until he gave in and had immediately gone to her lab with the intention of catching up on work. That had been the intent, anyway, until Tom had found her and nearly ordered her to join him and his family for lunch. It became a regular tradition for Rachel to join the Chandler family for lunch or dinner.

The first week passed by as Rachel and Tom continued to grow closer, getting to know each other better and trying to figure out if making landfall in Norfolk would be a good idea after Baltimore.

[I would add something like, Rachel was working in her lab one morning when she had an unexpected visitor.]

Rachel had been looking over some files and ideas, she wanted to see if she could spread the cure without the need of a bigger lab, she liked the idea of spreading it through the air, like crop-dusting, when the door to her lab was thrown open and Gator walked in.

"Dr Scott, I was sent to come and get you." Gator said, an excitement in his step and in voice as she followed after him, curious to see what had him so animated.

"Is it possible for a hospital ship to have a lab on board?" Tom asked, glancing at Rachel. A look passed between the two of them, one that only they would understand - or at least that's what they thought. The crew had almost immediately figured out that something had changed since Rachel had collapsed.

No more walking on eggshells around them, and when the two of them looked at each other, their expressions conveyed far more than they were aware.

"I guess so, yes. Why?" Rachel questioned, her head tilted in confusion. Gator set a couple of files on the table, opening them to reveal that a ship called the Solace had left Norfolk with a fully functional lab on board.I It was decided quickly that the James would navigate towards the ship. Everyone was hopeful that they could get a second ship to spread the cure, and since the Solace was a military ship, everyone thought that the crew could be trusted as the news travelled through the ship, excitement spread.

When the huge ship came into view on the horizon, nearly everyone made their way to the upper deck, looking out to a new hope, a new way of being able to spread the cure.I If there was indeed a lab on board, they wouldn't need a lab on land - at least not soon. They would have to replenish their resources and fuel but that was all.

"Now that a sight to behold," Jed said, coming to stand next to Rachel as she had joined the large number of people on the deck.

"Indeed it is. Let's hope we find what we hope now." She replied cautiously, a feeling of apprehension growing as they approached the ship.

Rachel moved to the bridge, wanting to see if they had managed to make contact with the ship since she had gone to the deck.

"We haven't been able to contact anyone on the ship." Tom immediately said when he saw her enter the bridge.

"This bloody virus." She cursed, walking up to the table everyone was hunched over.

A plan was made for them to board the ship, help those who might still be alive and see if they could move the lab to the James.

As Tom headed to Solace with his team, Rachel held her breath. Scared for the person she had just let in, scared to lose the person she had finally admitted that she loved, scared to lose Tom when he had finally admitted his love. They had only started and she didn't want to lose him now. Then the call came that there were hostiles on board, the ship came alive as everyone went into their battle position.

Barely breathing, Rachel listened to the garbled sounds over the mic. 'Please let them be okay, let him be okay.' She thought to herself over and over again.

An hour later everyone, including the personnel of the Solace was aboard, the hostiles having disappeared.

Rachel was helping with the care of those injured in the second helo bay, which had been transformed into a field hospital for moments as these.

"You'll be okay?" Rachel asked Rios, walking up to him after everyone had been taking care of.

"Yeah, most of them need to rest anyway." He smiled with respect in his eyes.[I'd add something here like "He appreciated her assistance and dedication to the crew given that there were too many injuries for him to effectively handle alone."

"Hey guys what are you doing here?" Rachel asked as she ran into Ashley, Sam and Kara walking in the P-way as she left the helo bay. She could see no one else in the p-way as she walked up to the kids.

"They were scared for their dad." Kara explained, looking at Rachel.

"He's okay guys, he's up on the bridge I think." Rachel told them.

"I was going to tell him everyone is taking care of, want to join me?" Rachel suggested, resting her hands on either of their shoulders.

"Can we?" Sam asked, looking up with hopeful eyes.

"Of course;" Rachel confirmed as they turned around and started walking towards the bridge, when the bell sounded throughout the ships. "Hostiles aboard." Was the next thing announced over the com.

"Shit," Kara and Rachel muttered, looking at each other and each taking a firm grip on one of the children.

 **So that's the chapter. I hope you like it. please do leave a comment behind so I know what you think.**


	7. Chapter 7

**First of all, thanks to all the people who've left behind such a nice comments, it's nice to know that you're enjoying the story so far.**

 **secondly, massive thanks to tmtcltb for beta reading this, you're a sweetheart for doing so.**

"What do we do?" Rachel asked, taking hold of both Ashley and Sam's shoulders, pulling them against her. Maybe It had become an instinct to protect them, unbeknownst to her taking the mother role.

"We need to hide; we can't risk the kids." Kara replied, unconsciously placing her hand on her own stomach, thinking of her own child growing inside of her. it was her duty to protect her and Danny's child.

"The lab?" Rachel asked. As soon as she said the words, she realized that it wouldn't be a safe place. The intruders had destroyed the lab on the Solace for yet some unknown reason. The chance that they would do the same here was too great and Rachel didn't want to risk it. But she wasn't really ready to lose whatever remained of the lab after Baltimore either. Plus, she needed to protect the cure. If they were after the destruction of the labs, she assumed they were also trying to destroy the Cure.

"I don't think that's going to be a safe place." Kara stated, looking back and forth on the P-way they were standing in.

"No, but standing here isn't either and we need to protect the cure." Rachel said. She was torn between protecting the kids and Kara, whom she had grown close to and cared about, or the cure she had fought so hard to discover. She had to save whatever was left of humanity, a nearly impossible decision.

"Our cabins are the safest option." Kara stated in her lieutenant manner. She turned them around and led Rachel and the kids to her cabin. Both Rachel and Kara were hoping they wouldn't encounter any hostiles.

'Tom would kill her if the kids were hurt.' Rachel though to herself as she followed Kara. Hoping the hand on the kids' shoulder would be enough support for now as they pushed them and the kids to safety.

"Come on guys, we need to hurry," Rachel said, trying to hide the anxiety she herself felt. Looking down at the kids she could see the fear in their eyes, but they were being brave and kept up with the quick pace Kara had set for them.

Rachel needed to protect those kids no matter the cost. She just hoped Tom would hold his own, she wouldn't want to tell them their father or grandfather had died as well.

Kara opened the door to her cabin and ushered the kids and Rachel inside. "I just hope they don't come looking here." She worried as Ashley and Sam sat down on the bed.

"I hope so to." Rachel sighed, leaning her head back against the door. Her thoughts where on the crew and most of all Tom, the captain of the ship. If there was anyone who could defeat the intruders who had taken out Solace it would be Tom and this crew. She had seen what they were capable off, she had faith in this crew and the Nathan James. She had faith in this cobbled up family they had become.

In the meantime all hell had broken loose on the bridge and in the Command center. They needed to find those hostiles and take them out, for Mike it felt like déjà vu all over again. The crew that had been in the same position during the hostage situation in Baltimore.

Tom feared for his kids. He had no idea of where they were or who they were with. He had been forced to bring them on board as there was nowhere else that they could go, but kids living on ship brought its own dangers. Right now he was more terrified then he'd even been for them. But he needed to think about his crew and the mission at hand. It was hard to focus as he thought back to what had happened back on Solace not two hours ago. Nobody had been able to figure out their motives, yet. The captured assailant still unconscious and cuffed to a bed in medical bay.

Thinking back to the Solace he grew even more distracted by his fear for his kids, fear for his crew and fear for the cure. On Solace they had destroyed the lab to stop the scientists from producing more. So Tom had to assume that they were here to do the same thing.

And then there was the small matter of how professional these men were. They were certainly not amateurs. On Solace he and the team had seen what that were capable of, what kind of weapons they carried.

If they encountered the kids… but Tom couldn't allow his mind to wander there. He wouldn't be able to do what needed to be done to get them off of his ship and save them and his crew if he lost his focus. He had enough of funerals.

He wanted these sons of bitches of his ship without anyone being killed.

Despite his effort keep his mind on his task, he couldn't help but think of Rachel. She had a tendency to get herself into trouble, whether it was deliberate or not. The thought of her going to face these hostiles might have terrified him even more than the thought of them finding Sam and Ashley. He knew that her first thought would be to save the cure, no matter the risk to herself.

Certainly when she would want to protect her work. The cure. He needed to focus on the mission, save the lab, protect the cure. It took a lot of effort to not think of his kids, his father and Rachel. But he succeeded and started barking orders to the crew. He was taking back his ship.

"Burk go to the lab, no one goes in or out, the cure and the lab must be protected at all cost." He ordered before looking at Danny. Tom had a lot of faith in the younger man. He had ignored the fraternization rules, but he'd earned back the respect of the crew. Tom knew he would be one of the greats. But so would everyone on this ship, certainly after what they had achieved so far.

"You know what we're dealing with." Tom added as an afterthought with a nod of his head.

"Dr Scott?" Danny asked.

"Let's hope she's in the lab," Tom whispered, still looking at Danny. With a nod of his head, Burk was off, Ravit and Wolf following after him.

"Tex, Green." Tom commanded, accepting a gun from Tex, "We need to flush them out. XO has the lead here," he ordered as he left CIC, followed by Green and Tex.

His crew was all armed and wouldn't hesitate to kill the men invading their ship, their home.

Several teams were going through the ship, flushing out the intruders. They moved throughout the pathways as quietly as they could. Every time they checked a room or peaked around a corner, Tom didn't know whether he hoped to see his kids there or not. When he got to the cabin his father and his kids shared, he opened the door. His heart heavy with worry.

"Dad?" he asked, seeing only his father in the cabin. "Where are the kids?" tom asked, looking around the room, hoping they would pop up somewhere.

"I don't know son. They went to look for Rachel." His father explained, causing Tom's heart to sink to his toes. After the cure and the lab, Rachel was the second highest target, the person he hoped to find and secure. But so far no luck.

"You have one of those?" Jed asked his son, pointing to the gun, he wasn't sitting by idly and doing nothing. He had been a ranger and he wanted to help, no matter how old he was.

"No dad, you stay here." Tom shook his head at him as he saw two of Tom's team behind him, each looking in a different direction in the corridor.

A second later, gunshots could be heard throughout the P-way and Danny and Tex pushed their way into the cabin. it was those damned guns that could turn around a corner. Taking the chance of looking out the door, Tex managed to shot the one running down the P-way.

"Dad you need to stay here, I can't worry about you too." Tom said to his father as Danny and Tex had left the cabin to see if hostile they shot was dead or alive. Maybe they could get some more assailants to question if he was alive. They needed answers after all.

"Son I can take care of myself." Jed protested.

"Dad, please." Tom nearly begged, tilting his head to the side.

"Okay son." Jed said, dropping down on a chair. "Find your kids." He added with a nod of his head.

"Thanks dad. Barricade the door and don't open it for anyone but me." Tom ordered before dashing out the room.

'God let Rachel and the kids be safe, now.' He thought to himself as he, Tex and Danny continued making their way down the P-way. "Where the hell are these sons of bitches?" Tom asked outloud, looking at Tex and Danny.

"No idea, sir." Danny replied, the tension in the entire ship was evident. Like the ship itself was holding its breath as to not give away anything.

"It's okay guys;" Rachel said, sitting down between a terrified Ashley and Sam.

"What do they want with dad's ship?" Sam asked.

"Ohh Sam," Rachel said, hugging him closer to her, hoping she could give him some comfort. But how could she when she herself had the same question and fear?

If the Russians and Baltimore had been any clue to how bad the world had gotten, this wasn't good news at all.

Kara was sitting on Ashley's other side as she helped to try and comfort her Captain's children. If this was what had become of the world, she didn't know how she could raise a child in it.

This apocalyptic world only brought the worst out of people apparently.

The four of them jumped when someone tried to open the door. Rachel moved her hand over Sam's mouth, Kara doing the same to Ashley, hoping that whoever was at the door would simply move on, although Rachel was not overly hopeful. If a door was locked from the inside, that meant there was someone hiding inside, everyone knew that.

Both women knew that if it were the hostiles, they would want to find out who was hiding, but if it was the crew scouting the ship, they would probably assume whoever was inside was hiding for safety and let it be.

"Who's in there?" came an unfamiliar voice to both women as they looked at each other over Ashley's head. 'hostiles' ran through both of their minds.

"What do we do?" Rachel mouthed to Kara.

"Quiet, they might go away." Kara mouthed back.

"Break the door open." Both women heard the order.

"Kids hide under the bed and don't make a sound, okay." Kara told them, her voice strong and steady, not one ounce of fear reflected in them. She herself was surprised at how well she hid her own fear.

"No." Sam whimpered, wrapping his arms around Rachel's waist.

"Be a brave boy Sam, everything will be alright." Rachel tried to encourage him as Ashley with a reluctant manner got on the floor and under the bed.

"We'll come and find you when it's safe okay?" Kara reassured him, crouching down to look at the hidden kids as Sam had followed his sister's example. Her hand stroking her brothers hair in a comforting manner.

"Okay," both of them whispered, voices shaking.

"Now we open the door if we want to keep the kids hidden." Kara instructed as she walked to the door, her shoulders back.

"Knew that would get them out," a man with a British accent said with a smug face.

"What do you want?" Rachel spat out from behind Kara, she hoped her civilian clothes wouldn't give her away. But even she knew it was a long shot.

"Well, if it isn't Doctor Scott" the man sneered at her as he looked her up and down. How could they possible know who she was?

"The savior of Mankind." The man sneered even harder, his distaste for her clear in his voice. "You're coming with us," he ordered, nodding his head at one of his man.

"I'm not going anywhere with you." Rachel retorted, taking a step back, but she couldn't really do much with the kids hiding in the room.

"We'll decide where you're going;" the British voice said again as another man took a hold of her upper arm.

"You're going to be a nice leverage as well," he decided, looking Kara up and down, her baby bump protruding in her coveralls.

"Maybe we'll even take you with us." he said in a cruel tone, chuckling. Kara and Rachel's eyes locked. 'The kids' was the silent message between them, and to save the kids they complied.

They'd have to find some other way to escape Kara decided. She only hoped she wouldn't kill her baby or Rachel during the process.

A nod towards Rachel and Kara knew she understood. They would have to escape somewhere, or they'd be toast.

Ashley watched from underneath the bed as they entered the room and took Rachel and Kara from the room. Ashley knew that Kara and Rachel had sacrificed themselves to save her and her brother. She might only be twelve, but the last year had made her a grown up way too soon.

Tears rose in Ashley's eyes as she realized that the two women she had grown close to, Rachel who she nearly loved as much as her mother, and and Kara who she loved nearly as much as her aunts, had sacrificed themselves to save them.

Ashley's hand was still clasped over her brother's mouth, he'd tried to call out when Rachel and Kara had been taken away. She knew their sacrifice would have been for nothing and as much as she wanted to help them, she couldn't. Kara and Rachel had ordered her and her brother to stay underneath the bed no matter what.

Taking her hand away from her brother's mouth, a tear having run over her hand. "They took them." Sam whimpered, turning around to face his sister.

"I know Sam." Ashley acknowledged.

"We need to help them." he pressed, crawling from under the bed, it's not like they would come back, they had checked the room. But she did stop him from leaving the room.

"They said to stay here Sam," Ashley said, leaning against the door, thinking of Rachel and Kara. And how much she wanted to help them, but she had promised to stay hidden.

"They'll come back Sammy." she said, wrapping her arms around her little brother as they crawled in the corner of the lowest bunk bed. huddled together.

They had nearly covered every stateroom in the ship, encountered four hostiles so far, killed two and subduing two others.

They had only five more staterooms to check. Tom's mind went to all sorts of scenarios, each one worse with another empty checked room.

The worst part about this was that they couldn't say anything over the com or they would be revealing their positions to the intruders, so they continued checking the ship in complete silence.

"Clear." Danny said, checking another door and room. "We'll find them sir," he added, looking at his captain, seeing the worry in his eyes. He couldn't begin to imagine what he might be thinking.

It struck Danny that he might be the only person on board who could relate a little, Kara and their unborn baby were his family and they were onboard. So essentially only he and the captain had their families on board and both were worried sick about them.

Tom nodded his head and could see the worry in his lieutenant's eyes, suspecting they reflected his own.

"We'll find them." Danny repeated, determination in his voice as they walked to the next door. Tex was guarding the P-way behind them, the Captain in front of them as Danny checked the room.

"Clear," came the now repeated word, it's not like his crew would cower in fear in their staterooms. They had proven their worth throughout this mission. Tom was sure, each member was looking through the ship, flushing out the assailants.

"Two more doors left, sir." Tex informed him, "Where do we go after this?" he asked his friend.

"We keep flushing the ship, until the XO announces the clear." The captain explained as they took their positions again for the next door.

"Clear," Danny repeated, closing the door again. He knew he hadn't seen Kara in the CIC when they planned the counter attack. So much like the Captain he didn't know where his family was and he feared one thing. He knew both Rachel and Kara were quite similar in their ways of working; professional and devoted women.

As they walked to the last door in the P-way, Tom didn't know what he wanted to be behind the door. It was the last state room being checked. Standing in formation as Danny opened the door he expected to hear the usual 'clear.'

"Captain." Danny called, looking back to where his captain was standing.

Not having expected that response, his head whipped around towards the door. "Sam, Ashley." he said relieved, storming into the room and embracing his children as they cried in his shoulder.

Tears pooled in his eyes as he embraced his kids.

"Dad." both children said with an urgency. "They've taken Rachel and Kara, they were protecting and hiding us here when they came to the door." Ashley started explaining in an urgency. now that her dad was here they could get them help.

"What do you mean?" Danny asked, taking a step closer to the kids he'd come to care about. It wasn't a strange sight to have him and Sam playing soccer on the deck or letting him hide so admiral Halsey could seek him out.

"We had gone to look for Rachel when the announcement came, Kara led us here. But then the knock came and they told us to hide under the bed. They threatened to blow down the door, so they told us to hide and they opened the door." Ashley rambled, wanting to tell it as quickly as possible, she needed to get help to Rachel and Kara.

"They knew who she was dad. They know Rachel." Sam added his own piece of information.

"They went with them to protect us." Ashley declared, looking between her dad, Danny and crazy Tex, as she had called him.

"Shit." the three of them said.

 **So that's the chapter, I hope you've enjoyed it. Let me know what you think? If you have any questions don't hesitate to ask them, I'll try to answer them without giving away to much.**


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